Liquid meter



Jly 7, 1953 R. Duus LIQUID uETEa Filed Feb. 23. 1949 INVENTOR. /PAY @aus Y f; ,g

Patented July 7, 1953 y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE: Y 2,644,333

LIQUID METER Ray Duns', Beverly Hills, Calif. Application February 23, 1949, Serial No.77,703

My invention relates to liquid meters and particularly to meters of the displacement type, and included in the objects of my invention are:

First, to provide a liquid meter which may be employed in an open system or in a pressure system.

V y Second, to provide a liquid meter which is particularly designedto handle crude petroleum oil or other liquids which. may contain various amounts of solids or other foreign matter, or may be chargediwithv gas.

Third, to provide a liquid-meter which functions accurately, evenl though the flow rate of the liquid should vary over a wide rangeor become irregularly intermittent, or should vary in viscosity. l

Fourth, to provide fa liquid meter whereby periodically a small sample of the liquid being measured is diverted-and collected for test purposes or other use.

With the above and other objects in view as may appear hereinafter, reference is directed to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a substantially diagrammatical longitudinal sectional view of my liquid meter, and

Fig. 2 is another diagrammatical sectional View taken at right angles to Fig. 1.

My liquid meter is housed in a shell I which is divided by a horizontal partition 2, to form a gas"- liquid separator chamber 3 at the upper end of this shell. Extending upwardly from the lower end of the shell I is a vertical partition 4, which terminates in spaced relation to the partition 2 and' divides the shell into aV pair of metering rchambers 5 and l; these chambers being connected at their upper portions. A fluid intake 1 communicates with the separator chamber 3. The liquid to be measured is introduced through this intake and may be charged with gas. A baille means 8 is provided to minimize jetting of the incoming liquid. The separator chamber is large enough that any gas contained in the liquid may have opportunity to separate. Such gas is removed through an outlet 9.

Fitted in the partition 2 is a liquid siphon I0 which communicates between the lower portion of the separator chamber to the upper extremities of the metering chamber, preferably in centered relation to and above the vertical partition 4. The lower end of the siphon I is provided with a pivot elbow II terminating in a spout I2 which may be pivoted or oscillated across the vertical partition 4 to discharge liquid into one or the other of the metering chambers and B. The pivot elbow is equipped with a shaft I3, which 3 claims. (Cl. rtf-n.219)

2 f projects through the shell I and is adapted for connection to a conventional counter mechanism (not shown). i

`Outlet tubes I4 extend downwardly from each metering chamber and are connected toa common discharge line I5. Check valves IIlmay be interposed to prevent back iiow from one outlet to the other. f

The inner or intake end of each tube I4 is provided with a swivel connection I1 from which extends a tubular oat lever arm I8 at the free extremity of which is mounted a iioat I9 open at its upper portion.

Supported from the vertical partition 4- by means of mounting brackets 20, is a pair of vertical pull rods 2| which are joined by connecting r-ods 22 to the oat lever arms I8. The shaft I3 protrudes from the pivot elbow I I and is lequipped with a walking beam 23 the extremities of which are provided with dog levers 24. The dog levers are engageable by lugs 25 provided at the upper extremities of the pull rods 2I. Means such as .pins 25 are provided to limit pivotal movement of the dog levers so that the pull rods are free to move upwardlypast the dog levers to catch and engage the dog levers when the pull rods move downward.- An overbalanced weight 21 is supported by theshaft I3 so that the spout I2 tends to occupy one or the other of its extreme portions as indicated by solid and by broken lines in Fig. 1.

Centered in the shell I directly below the path of the spout I2 Aisa sampler tube-28 which extends laterally from the shel1 for discharge into a suitable sample container not shown.

The separator chamber 3 may be provided with a small gas tube 29 communicating from the upper extremity of the separator chamber to the upper extremities of the meter chambers.

Suitable valve controlled drains 30 are provided at the bottom ends of the metering chambers.

Operation of my liquid meter is as follows:

Incoming fluid which may be at atmospheric or under nominal pressure, or under high pressure, and which may be charged with gas, and furthermore may contain solids or other foreign matter, enters through the intake 1. Most if not all of the gas that may be contained in the liquid has opportunity to escape through the gas outlet 9. When or as long as the liquid level is above the neck of the Siphon, the liquid is discharged into one or the other of the metering chambers through the spout I2. The spout I2, aided by the weight 21, directs all of the liquid into one or the other of the chambers.

Assuming the conditions shown in Fig. 1 in which chamber 5 has discharged its capacity of liquid and chamber 6 is in the process of being filled, it will be observed that both open iioats I9 are empty and buoyant. A liquid discharging into chamber 6 raises the level therein, causing the float to raise until the pull rod is limited or restrained in its upward movement. Further lling .of thechamber E raises theliquid level until it is above the rim of theiioat; by reason 0f the fact that the tubular arm is inclined at a substantial angle, and its inlet is located at the far side of the oat, an appreciable quantity of the liquid may ll the float before the levelf the inlet end is reached. This is sufcient to overcome the buoyancy of the float and cause it to submerge to the lowermost ybrokenline position shown in Fig. 2. In moving downward, the corresponding pull rod engages a dog `lever and tilts the walking beam to direct the liquid into lchamber', as indicated by brokenlines in Fig. 1. Theliquid in chambercontnues to drain therefrom until the condition in chamberk ycorresponds to that shown in chamber 5, duringwhich vtime chamberz lls with liquid. "The oscillating imovementstof the walking beam and itszshaft I3 operate. .a suitable counter. 'Inasmuch as the effective volumes of the metering chambers may I bet'predetermined; the` amountof Vliquid. passing throughtthe'meterlmay bev calculated.

VI'With ea'chiosciliation` of the spout I2, af'small quantityiof liquid entersthe sample tube1'23.

It is essential that air or gas .be I maintained '.abovetthe liquid inthe metering chambers 5 and --6. Ifithemeter is'employed in :a pressure system, aiga-seous atmosphere-'may beA maintained by the gasi-.tube 29.

'I-Iavingtfullydescribed my invention, it is to :be understood that' I do not wish to be limited to thezdetailsfhereinset forth, but my 'invention is uof the full-scopeof the appended claims.

I-.olaimz .1. *Azliquid meter,.comprising:v a'shell structure "defining ra pair 'of meteringy chambers; .'shiftable inlet means for discharging liquid into .eitherof said metering chambersyan outlet from each of lsaid chambers; a hollow iloat in each'of rsaidwch-ambers, open at its vupperside, the interior ofzsaid `iioat communicatingwith the outlet `of','itscorresrmnding chamber and isolating said outlet from said chamber when said -loatis buoyed therein, and the liquid level is'below the upperopen side of saidfloat; means forrestrain'- ing upward movement of'said float,each'of said iloats adapted Ywhen; restrained by. saidl ymeans fand: the liquid .level risesaboveitslopen side to communication being such that when said float is elevatedentrance to said tubular arm is suiciently/ above the lowermost point of the float thatan' overbalancing quantity of liquid may be entrapped in said oat before discharge through saidarm therefrom, thereby to cause said float to sink; means for limiting elevation of said noat to'r permit flow ofnliquid` into,` said floatlover the open vupper endthereof inl'etmeans vfor said metering chambers; f and operative 'connections between` said inletneansY and each' ofsai'd'iioats v,to Vdirect liquid into one chamber upon submergence of the noat in the other chamber.

3. A 'liquid meter; comprising a pair of' metering chambers; inlet means .for directing liquid Valternately Yinto saidchambers;x'outlet means for leach ofA said' chamberspeach outletmeansincluding a movable buoyant float member openf at its upper, side; lmeans limiting buoyant movement of said'iloatmember. whereby when theliquid'in its corresponding'metering chamber hasexceededa, predeterrnined'..level,. said'f float-receives a .buoyancy overbalancing quantity of liquid and'sinks thereby to discharge of .the contentsosaid metering chamber through said outlet; and lmeansconnecting each ofsaidoutletmeans with said inlet means to direct liquidfinione chamber asthe'oat'member inthe'other chamber submerges and said: other. chamber is emptying.

:RAY DUUS.

ReferencesCited in 'thefile of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS n Number Name .Date

1,340,293 Roach et al May 18,1920 2,105,262 Price. `Jan.,l1, 1938 FOREIGN 'PATEN TS Number Country Date Y.12,922 GreatBritain Jan. 13,1850 ofv1850 

